MILWAUKEE — Former President Donald Trump, who survived an assassination attempt, will “throw away” an earlier speech written for him for Thursday’s Republican National Convention and instead deliver his own “personal” speech on the final night of the GOP festivities.
A campaign official told reporters on Thursday that the former president “wrote his own remarks” and that “these remarks will be very personal.”
Trump, 78, said he changed his speech after he was shot in the ear on Saturday. The bullet grazed his skull and damaged his right ear. The former president was briefly hospitalized shortly afterward, but was back on a plane to kick off the four-day event less than 48 hours later.
The Washington Post previously reported that Trump’s first speech was “very harsh” and that he spoke about a “corrupt and terrible administration” under Biden’s term in office.
“We’re going to hear a very personal message from the president, which only highlights the stark contrast between President Trump and Biden,” another Trump administration official added.
His new speech will likely focus on unity and further support for the Republican Party. The theme of “unity” was an undercurrent at the convention, where speakers included former 2024 presidential rivals Nikki Haley, Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswami, who were fierce critics of him during the primary.
The Republican National Committee has sought to remove or soften some of the more divisive elements of the Republican platform, such as same-sex marriage and abortion. Speakers at the convention did not focus on abortion and did not mention social conservatism. Amber Rose, the model and rapper who most recently endorsed Trump, spoke after he took the stage, signaling the party is seeking to win over new voters.
Here is the latest on the assassination attempt against Donald Trump:
Ric Grenell, Trump’s former director of national intelligence and who is gay, spoke on stage at the party convention on Wednesday, saying the former president didn’t care “if you’re gay or straight, if you’re black or brown or white or what your gender is.”
Shortly after the shooting, President Trump released a statement speaking about the unity he wanted to express.
“Now more than ever it is important that we come together, show our true character as Americans, and stand strong, resolute, and do not let evil win,” he wrote on Truth Social. “I love this country with all my heart. I love you all, and I look forward to speaking to our great people from Wisconsin this week.”
